Evidence of meeting #33 for Health in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Dany Fortin  Vice-President, Vaccine Roll-Out Task Force, Logistics and Operations, Public Health Agency of Canada
Stephen Lucas  Deputy Minister, Department of Health
Iain Stewart  President, Public Health Agency of Canada
Clerk of the Committee  Mr. Jean-François Pagé
Theresa Tam  Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada
Michael Strong  President, Canadian Institutes of Health Research

1:05 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome, everyone, to meeting number 33 of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health.

The committee is meeting today to study main estimates 2021-22: votes 1 and 5 under Canadian Food Inspection Agency; votes 1 and 5 under Canadian Institutes of Health Research; votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Health; vote 1 under Patented Medicine Prices Review Board; and votes 1, 5 and 10 under Public Health Agency of Canada.

I'd like to welcome our witnesses today.

Of course, we have the the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health. From the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, we have Dr. Siddika Mithani, president. From the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, we have Dr. Michael Strong, president. From the Department of Health, we have Dr. Stephen Lucas, deputy minister. From the Public Health Agency of Canada, we will have Dr. Theresa Tam, chief public health officer; Major-General Dany Fortin, vice-president, vaccine rollout task force, logistics and operations; and of course Mr. Iain Stewart, president.

I know you're all frequent flyers with us, so indeed, welcome back to all of you.

I now invite Minister Hajdu to present her statement.

You have 10 minutes, please.

1:05 p.m.

Thunder Bay—Superior North Ontario

Liberal

Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, for the invitation to return to committee.

As you mentioned, I'm joined today by officials from Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, CFIA and CIHR. We are here to update you on the main estimates for the health portfolio.

We know, as we continue to respond to COVID-19, that some areas in Canada have seen an increase in cases, some areas in Canada have had to apply additional public health measures and some areas in Canada have seen increased hospitalizations. We remain focused on one goal, and that's to help Canadians through COVID-19—to help provinces and territories reduce transmission in communities, to decrease the number of people getting sick, and of course to decrease the number of people ending up in hospitals and, sadly, passing away as a result of COVID-19.

We know that this is a lot of work on behalf of all levels of government, and indeed not just government but community organizations, unions, employers and everyone working together in a team Canada approach. The most important things for us to remain focused on now are to reduce community transmission, increase access to vaccination and make sure that we stay focused on increasing vaccine uptake. We need to make sure the vaccines are available to people in a variety of different ways so that they can access them when it's their turn.

I have to say that we've been so impressed by Canadians' desire to be vaccinated and their willingness to step up when it is indeed their turn. As we can see, as more vaccines have been arriving in Canada week over week, we are now a leading G20 country, the second in the G20 in terms of administering the first dose. That's good news, Mr. Chair, because we know that vaccinations save lives and reduce the spread in communities, along with the other things that we know all too well.

In terms of actual hard numbers, that means nearly 13 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered. I have good news, and it's reflected in case rates and death rates. Eighty per cent of those aged 70 to 79 and 86% of those aged 80 and over have received vaccination. I can tell you that there is a sense of relief, especially among people in those age groups who have felt so worried and so scared, and of course among the people who love them, that they are protected as provinces and territories work together to reduce transmission in communities.

Of course, as all of you in HESA know, Canada is focused on a population health approach to vaccination. What does that mean? It means using vaccination as a powerful tool to reduce cases in communities and to stop people from getting sick and dying.

We have two overarching goals: to stop the spread and to save lives. Because of this strategy, there are more Canadians protected now than a month ago. We are looking forward to a very busy month of May. This month alone, millions of doses will arrive in the country and go directly into arms through the strong partnership with provinces, territories, local public health officials and other really important partners like pharmacists and family physicians.

While vaccination programs are scaling up, we have to continue to be cautious and vigilant about following local public health guidance. That does mean the things that we know help prevent the spread of the virus. As we have learned, that means physical distancing; the wearing of masks, especially in crowded and indoor settings; being mindful of how and where people gather; really thinking of each other during this time; and continuing to pull together as Canadians to make sure that the entire community remains safe. If there's something I've learned, Mr. Chair—or been reminded of, I think is more appropriate—it's the importance of collective action to fight a virus like this. It's that we cannot do this alone, that communities can't do this alone, that people can't do this alone, but that together we can actually get a lot further.

Today we will share the health portfolio's spending plans for the months ahead.

As you know, budget 2021 proposes significant investments in a number of health priorities, from increasing research and biomanufacturing to improving long-term care and continuing our investments—significant investments, I would say—in mental health and substance use supports.

These investments will help us finish the fight against COVID-19 and will help Canadians to see, in a healthier and more equitable way, a healthier future in their communities.

Maintaining Canadians' health and safety continues to be my priority—indeed, all of our agencies' priority—in the months to come. The main estimates I'm presenting today reflect this, and they outline the work we are doing to achieve these goals.

Over the next year, Health Canada will work with the provinces and territories to help improve health systems for all Canadians. This work includes measures to strengthen the health care sector through investments in long-term care and supportive care settings. We will also address mental health and problematic substance use through continued investments in home and community care and in mental health and addiction services, including specific investments to help Canadians during COVID-19.

I want to give a particular thank you to the many organizations that work with people who are struggling with a variety of mental health issues and a variety of problematic substance use issues. These community organizations and providers have been there for Canadians during this dreadful time, and their work is tremendously valuable to all of us.

Our world-class regulators will continue their work to get Canadians the medicines, vaccines and medical devices they need. That work includes creating a critical drug reserve to assist with COVID-19 treatments.

For the past year, the Public Health Agency of Canada has been focused on the pandemic response. Whether it's on vaccines, on research or on specific COVID-19 supports, the agency has been working day and night—all of the folks in the agency have been working day and night—to protect Canadians. This work will continue well beyond the pandemic.

The safety of our food supply is also always a priority in a pandemic, and of course beyond. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency protects Canadians from food safety risks, supports our food supply chain and safeguards the health and safety of people working in the food manufacturing and distribution industries. I want to thank all of the workers at CFIA for their ongoing work, oftentimes in very challenging situations, as we know. In meat packing plants, where there have been significant challenges to prevent the spread of COVID, I know that inspection agents and many other professionals have been working to make those workplaces safer and to keep food safe for Canadians.

After a year of living with COVID-19, the importance of investing in health and medical research, if it wasn't evident before, is now, Mr. Chair. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research is supporting Canadian research and researchers, and our investments will make sure that they have a strong and central role in ensuring that science returns to a place of prominence in government policy-making.

I am so relieved, Mr. Chair, that our government made those investments in 2015, after a decade of attack on scientists and researchers. We made those investments in 2015, and they turned out to be critical. We're going to continue to strengthen Canadian research through the CIHR, through the researcher community that they support, to make sure that we have access to the best evidence and the best science on a range of health issues.

Mr. Chair, my priority is Canadians' health and safety. As we face this wave of the virus, as we see the finish line, we know there's more work to do. The plans I'm talking about show what we have to do, how we have to invest and how we have to continue to pull together. I know that Canadians will get through this, but we have to work together to get through it so that we can save lives, stop the spread and protect Canadians' health throughout COVID-19 and beyond.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I look forward to your questions.

1:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon

Thank you, Minister.

We'll start our questions now with Ms. Rempel Garner.

Please go ahead for six minutes.

1:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you, Chair.

This question is to Major-General Fortin.

Has the weekly delivery schedule been finalized with AstraZeneca?

1:10 p.m.

Major-General Dany Fortin Vice-President, Vaccine Roll-Out Task Force, Logistics and Operations, Public Health Agency of Canada

Mr. Chair, we don't at this time have exact quantities and delivery schedules for AstraZeneca for the month of May.

1:10 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Do you have a weekly delivery schedule for AstraZeneca for any subsequent months?

1:15 p.m.

MGen Dany Fortin

Mr. Chair, no, we don't.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you.

This is to Dr. Lucas.

In December the vaccine injury support program was announced. On what day will Canadians be able to apply to access this program?

1:15 p.m.

Dr. Stephen Lucas Deputy Minister, Department of Health

Mr. Chair, given that the Public Health Agency is responsible for that program, I'll turn to the president, Iain Stewart, to respond.

1:15 p.m.

Iain Stewart President, Public Health Agency of Canada

Thank you for the question.

The program was designed such that it's retroactive—

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Chair, on a point of order, I think the interpretation has switched.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon

Yes, I was just about to deal with that. I've stopped your clock, Ms. Rempel Garner.

Excuse me, sir; we do have a bit of a problem with the interpretation. We're hearing French on the English channel.

1:15 p.m.

The Clerk of the Committee Mr. Jean-François Pagé

It should be good now.

1:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Ron McKinnon

We'll give it a shot.

Ms. Rempel Garner, I will resume your clock and the witness may continue.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you.

Mr. Stewart was telling us about when the vaccine injury support program would be open.

1:15 p.m.

President, Public Health Agency of Canada

Iain Stewart

The program is retroactive to December. Before we began administering vaccines, it began to be eligible. When people want to bring forward cases, they'll be covered for the entire period of the immunization program.

Right now, the service provider is still finalizing their process and getting themselves set up and ready, but they're moving along quite quickly. Everybody has coverage.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

I notice that the applications for a third party administrator haven't closed on the website. Are you saying they have and that an administrator has been selected?

1:15 p.m.

President, Public Health Agency of Canada

Iain Stewart

Yes, that's interesting. We'll double-check on why the website says it's still open. Thanks for noting that.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you.

If you could provide MPs with that, it would help us with our casework as well. Thank you.

To Dr. Lucas, studies are emerging expressing concerns relating to waning immunity with extended dosing intervals, particularly in relation to the Pfizer vaccine.

Have you given the government any advice regarding Canadians' requiring three doses of vaccines due to extended dosing intervals?

1:15 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Health

Dr. Stephen Lucas

This is an area of active research. Health Canada, through the regulatory organization, is working with the manufacturers in the development of boosters. We provided guidance on the clinical development and are in touch with them in terms of potential regulatory submissions in the future.

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Is it fair to say that Canadians may need three doses of the Pfizer vaccine if they experience an extended dosing interval?

1:15 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Health

Dr. Stephen Lucas

Mr. Chair, as I said, the science is being undertaken on this, including assessment in Canada. We are working with the manufacturers—

1:15 p.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Thank you.

Dr. Lucas, have you given the government any advice regarding the need for educating the public on risks associated with waning immunity associated with an extended dosing interval, particularly with the Pfizer vaccine?

1:15 p.m.

Deputy Minister, Department of Health

Dr. Stephen Lucas

Mr. Chair, I think I'll turn to Dr. Tam to refer to this.

April 30th, 2021 / 1:15 p.m.

Dr. Theresa Tam Chief Public Health Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada

Thank you for the question.

The extended dose is based on science and the advice of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization. We're tracking the immunity related to individuals who received—